


The One Where Rachel is With Joey

by JulietaJuris



Category: Friends (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-27 07:21:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9982598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulietaJuris/pseuds/JulietaJuris
Summary: After Rachel and Ross break-up, Rachel moves on and finds that Joey might be a better match.(Takes places after Rachel and Ross break-up in season three.)





	1. The One After the Break-Up

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished rewatching Friends, and all I can say is that Rachel Green deserved so much better. I always thought that Rachel should have never revisited her relationship with Ross after they broke up. Anyways, this is my small three-part contribution to the small pile of Rachel/Joey fics on the site.

Her parting words with Ross have been stuck in her head, replaying over and over for the past week. Rachel goes back and forth from feeling confident in her choice and regretting it. There have been times where she's dialed half of his number or walking down to Central Perk just to apologize to him for something she shouldn't even feel sorry for. 

 

It is why Rachel is grateful for the ridiculous hours her job has thrust on her. There's work and then there's sleep. It gives her little time to drunk dial or make desperate attempts to repair her relationship. Rachel marches up the stairs to her apartment. She fumbles for her keys and unlocks the front door. 

 

Rachel sets her purse on the counter, almost colliding with Monica. Monica side steps Rachel and places her set of blue wine glasses on the table. Rachel eyes Joey sitting on the chair in the living room. Her eyes go back to the wine glasses. She counts four.

 

“Oh, is Chandler coming over?” Rachel asks.

 

The color seems to drain from Monica’s face as she clears her throat. “ _ Actually _ ...Ross wanted to come over. He said that he talked to you, and you were okay with it.”

 

Rachel crosses her arms defensively. “I haven't talked to Ross in a week.”

 

“ _ Oh _ ,” Monica’s voice raises an octave. “It must have been a miscommunication.”

 

Rachel drops her arms to her sides and walks to the table. She grabs the opened bottle of Merlot by the neck. She takes two blue glasses in hand and walks to the couch. She sets the glasses and bottle down on the coffee table before plopping down on the end of the couch closest to Joey. 

 

“I didn't finish pouring glasses for Ross and I,” Monica says.

 

“Oh no, this bottle is for me and Joey,” Rachel says as she pours herself a heavy glass. “Mostly me.”

 

She leans back into the couch. “Joey sit next to me.”

 

“But, Rach,” he says. “I'm already comfortable and-”

 

Rachel looks to him. “ _ Please.” _

 

_ “Oh _ , okay,” he says.

 

Joey rises from his seat and sits next to Rachel, creating a boundary in the event that Ross might attempt to sit next to her. Rachel leans forward and pours him a glass of wine. She offers it to him with a forced smile.

 

“Oh, uh thanks,” he says.

 

Rachel takes a long sip of her wine. She pulls the blue glass from her lips and grabs the neck of the bottle to fill her glass. Her shoulders tense as she sips the bitter liquid. She feels as if the walls are closing in on her, and her knees tremble.

 

There is a knock at the door. Rachel’s stomach twists into knots and she instinctively drowns herself in more wine. The sound of Monica opening the door is like torture, and all she can think is to run.

 

“Hey Ross,” she hears Monica greet him.

 

“Hi,” Ross pauses momentarily. “I hope you don't mind if I brought a...uh  _ guest _ .”

 

Rachel’s shoulders tense as she shifts in her seat to look over the couch. She sees black hair. Monica steps to the side to reveal Ross’s  _ guest. _ Rachel’s heart drops when she sees Janice. She shifts back into her seat and looks to Joey.

 

“ _ Joey _ ...he brought  _ Janice!”  _ she hisses in a low whisper.

 

“ _No_ ,” Joey looks to Rachel. “Chandler’s ex Janice?”

 

Rachel nods.

 

Joey releases a deep breathe as he falls back into the couch. “She’s like that one disease thing...you know,  _ herpes. _ You think she’s gone, but she keeps showing back up!”

 

Rachel smooths out her black skirt and straightens her shoulders. Her hands are still clinging to the blue wine glass as if it were her lifeline. She breathes and mentally prepares herself for the trainwreck that's about to happen in her living room.

 

“Joey, do you...uh, mind moving?” Ross asking.

 

“ _ Yes _ !” Rachel places her hand on Joey’s shoulder. “He does mind.”

 

“Oh,” Ross shifts nervously to Janice. “I guess you could sit on my lap if you want.”

 

Ross’s words practically burn her ears. She watches in horror as Janice nods her head with the ugliest smile Rachel has ever seen. She clasps her hands in front of her and does that awful laugh. Rachel cringes as she exchanges a disgusted look with Joey.

 

Ross sits down on the chair to the left of Rachel. Janice practically hops in his laps and wraps her arms around his neck. Rachel drains her glass of the last of her wine and sets it on the coffee table. 

 

“So, uh, Rachel,” Ross looks to her. “How is the new job going?”

 

“ _ Good _ ,” Rachel forces a smile. 

 

Monica rounds the corner and sits on the remaining chair. She looks to Ross and Janice before crossing her arms.

 

“So, you and Janice?” Monica says. “Funny, I could have sworn that Chandler was just dating her.”

 

“Oh, uh, yeah…” Ross scratches the back of his neck nervously. “We just happened to run into each other, and we started talking, and…”

 

“It was love at first sight!” Janice finishes for him.

 

Rachel nearly gags. She reaches for the bottle of wine and pours herself another glass. She sets the near empty bottle on the coffee table. She downs half the glass and clutches onto it for dear life. She shifts in her seat so that she's facing towards Joey and Monica. Both look just as uncomfortable as she is.

 

“So, Janice are you still married?” Rachel asks.

 

“ _ Rachel _ , come on,” Ross whines. “You don't need to be so hostile.”

 

“I'm not being hostile,” she grins at Janice. “I'm just asking a question.”

 

“ _ Yeah! _ ” Joey says. “Just a few months ago, you dumped Chandler to be with your husband and now you're with Ross. What's your deal?”

 

“I know it's hard to believe, but you're going to just have to accept that Ross and I are happy!” Janice shouts.

 

Rachel eyes Monica who is rolling her eyes. Monica, with arms still crossed, narrows her eyes at both Ross and Janice as her lips press into a hardline. “ _ Ross _ …when you suggested this little truce dinner, I was under the impression that you came here to actually make  _ peace _ .”

 

“I am making peace!” Ross whines.

 

“ _ No _ ,” Monica’s arms uncross to grip both armrests on her chair. “ _ Look,  _ it's obvious you're trying to make Rachel jealous. I get it. Well, maybe I don't get it, because I actually act my age.  _ But _ , if you are actually going to seek out some revenge lay the least you could have done is not hunt down Chandler’s crazy ex-girlfriend.”

 

Rachel sets the glass on the table. She breathes and clutches her knees. She can see Joey glancing at her from the corner of her eye. Ross and Janice are eyeing her like hawks. Rachel rises from where she's sitting and walks into the kitchen.

 

The whole room quiets and she can feel all of their eyes on her back. What do they expect her to say? What  _ can  _ she say? Rachel brushes a strand of hair away from her face. She could just grab her purse and leave. Maybe she could just hide at Central Perk until Ross leaves. 

 

Janice snorts, and Rachel pivots so that she's facing both Ross and Janice. She places one hand on the counter and the other on her hip. Rachel shakes with sheer rage.

 

“You are  _ unbelievable _ !” Rachel looks to Ross. “Not only do you have the  _ nerve  _ to push the blame all on me, but you actually sought out Chandler’s  _ crazy  _ ex to bring to what was supposed to be some sort of truce dinner!”

 

“Well, if you hadn't been so close to Mark  _ maybe _ \--”

 

“No,” Rachel raises her hand. “No, you do  _ not _ get to pull that. I'm not going to have this fight about Mark again.”

 

Rachel goes to the counter and snatches her purse. She's goes to the door and pulls it open. She turns, staring down both Ross and Janice. “You know what Ross, congratulations! You might have found someone just as crazy and deluded as yourself!”

 

Rachel turns on her heel and slams the door behind her. Her chest is burning like an open fire. Surely, she's going crazy or just living some nightmare. That must be it. There is no possible way that Ross could truly be so insane to seek out Chandler’s crazy ex just to slight her in front of her friends.

 

She can't think. Hell, she can barely breath. Her chest is tight and her muscles are tense. She  _ needs  _ fresh air. Rachel paces to the stairwell. Her hands grip the railing. Rachel draws in a deep breath and expels it into the air. Hot tears are forming behind her eyes, and she's pretty sure she's about to lose her damn mind.

 

“ _ Rach!” _

 

Rachel steps away from the stairwell and cranes her head to the side.  _ Joey _ . She puts her fingers to her temples and lowers her head to the floor. Her eyes are hot with tears, and her heart is burning with anger. She feels so helpless and so weak. Rachel draws in a thick breath and tries to look at Joey without falling into a million pieces.

 

He's stepping towards her. Rachel looks up to him searching for something --  _ anything  _ \-- to say. She can't, because she's sure that if she speaks even a word that she'll fall apart. Joey draws her into his arms, and she just can't hold in anything anymore. Her hands cling to his white shirt and she bursts into tears. She's sure that her mascara is probably smudging off on his shirt, and she probably looks like a wreck. But, she needs this.

 

“If it means anything, I  _ hate  _ Janice too.”

 

Rachel laughs softly. She shifts so that she's resting the side of her head against him. She feels her anger simmer as she softens in his embrace. Once her anger subsides, she pulls away and looks up to him.

 

“Come to Central Perk with me,” she pauses momentarily before adding, “At least until Ross and Janice leave.”

 

“Yeah, sure…”

 

Rachel smiles up to him and he smiles this boyish grin. The pair walk down stairs side by side -- leaving Ross and Janice behind them. 


	2. The One at the Dive Bar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was going to be three parts, but I kind of just want to keep writing, so I'm not sure how long this will be. Thank you all for your response all of you are so awesome! I'm glad there are more JR shippers out there that feel the same about Ross (he's the poster child of nice guy syndrome, in my opinion).

Two weeks after the  _ Janice-Gate _ , it was decided among Rachel, Monica, Chandler, and Joey that Rachel and Chandler switch places. Monica would be able to have her brother over while Rachel could maintain her sanity. Rachel did not see fault in this arrangement. She had grown closer to Joey in the past couple of weeks -- every now and again sneaking away to Central Perk or to a nearby bar for a drink. They usually talked mostly of work. Rachel vented about how her boss kept asking about Chandler like a dog in heat, and Joey vented about his high strung costar in his play.

 

It was  _ simple.  _ No drama, and Joey’s simplicity was a nice change of pace in comparison to Ross’s constant attempt at making her feel intellectually inferior. She could enjoy the simpler things without an earful on how superficial she was. So, the day the roommate swap was announced, it felt like a long abated breath of fresh air.

 

Rachel sets the last of her boxes into the living room. She releases a deep breath. Rachel turns to Joey. He's holding two open beers. Rachel takes one from him. They clink the beers together with a simple  _ “cheers” _ and both take a sip. 

 

“So…” Joey grins a boyish grin.

 

“ _ So… _ ” Rachel returns his grin.

 

“You want to go get some drinks or something?” Joey asks.

 

“I haven't unpacked,” Rachel can practically hear Monica’s scolding in the back of her head.

 

“ _ Ah _ , leave it. We can do it tomorrow,” Joey waves his hand.

 

Rachel takes another sip of her beer. She sets the half empty bottle of Bud Light on the counter and grabs her purse. Joey opens the door, motioning for Rachel to go forth. She practically prances outside. The past few weeks have been so stressful with taking on a new job and all of the Ross stuff. Rachel feels like this may be the first time she feels at ease.

 

Joey shuts the door behind them, locking it before turning back to Rachel. They walk side by side down the hall, rounding down the staircase. They are practically racing each other down and both burst into laughter when they reach the bottom. This is how it is with Joey -- so simple and carefree.

 

“Let's go to that bar near the copy place,” Joey suggests. 

 

Chloe flashes into Rachel’s mind. She feels a rush of anger, but a grin emerges on her face too.  _ What if she sees her with Joey?  _ She might just exaggerate it enough to Ross to make him believe  _something_ happened and watching Ross squirm brings a smile to her lips. 

 

“Sounds good to me!” Rachel says.

 

Rachel follows Joey’s lead, passing Central Perk as they walk through the busy New York streets. Rachel glances inside, seeing Monica and Chandler sitting side by side on the couch. They both burst out into laughter. Maybe the swap was for the best. Chandler and Monica seem to be getting along just as nicely as she is with Joey. She eyes a new waitress that hands them two mugs of coffee.

 

“You know,” Rachel smiles. “It's so nice not working there anymore! I don't miss it at all!”

 

“Maybe this is a new phase in your life,” Joey says. “You got this job, you're single again… _ Rach _ , you could get any guy you want. I mean, Ross is Ross. He's got all that baggage with his ex wife, and he spent more time with that stupid monkey than he does with his son.”

 

Two weeks ago, hearing the word  _ single  _ might have hurt, but just the way Joey says it makes her feel hopeful. Rachel smiles up to Joey. He puts a new perspective on all of the baggage in her life. 

 

They pass the copy place. Rachel notices Chloe outside with a cigarette in hand. Their eyes meet, and Rachel reacts by linking her arms around Joey. Rachel is surprised he doesn't question her or maybe shrug her off. He puts his arm around her waist, and Rachel grins to herself.  _ That  _ will give Chloe something to talk about! She imagines Ross going completely pale before berating Chloe with questions. It ends with Ross whining to himself and complaining at Central Perk to Monica, Phoebe, and Chandler.

 

They pass the copy place and reach a small dive bar. Rachel and Joey hand their IDs to a the bouncer before stepping inside. Rachel follows Joey to the bartop, taking a seat on a barstool. The bartender approaches the both of them, greeting them before asking what they want for drinks. Joey turns to Rachel, “Order whatever you want.”

 

“A dirty martini sounds nice,” Rachel says. 

 

Joey turns back to the bartender. “A dirty martini and a whiskey coke please.”

 

The bartender disappears to make their drinks. Rachel turns to Joey. He smiles back at her. She's always recognized how attractive he is, but there's just something about _Something new_. Or maybe something she just never noticed until now. 

 

“One dirty martini, one whiskey coke,” the bartender sets the drinks in front of them. “It's 10.50 total.”

 

Rachel reaches into her purse for her wallet, but Joey stops her. He retrieves money from his wallet and sets down a ten and five dollar bill. “Keep the change.”

 

They clink their glasses together. Rachel sips the martini, eyes meeting Joey’s briefly. She sets the glass down on the bar top. She had known Joey for all these years, but now she really feels like she's starting to really  _ know  _ him. He's so much more than that the playboy persona he puts off. 

 

Rachel holds her gaze for a tad too long. He's handsome --  _ very handsome _ . And, he's so sweet. It's a stark contrast to the condescending, elitist attitude of Ross Geller. Rachel stands from her bar stool. She steps towards him, eyes still locked on his. Rachel hesitates, trying to find a reason to stop.

 

His eyes don't move from hers. He steps towards her. His hand is on her waist, every nerve seems to ignite within her. Her heart is pounding. This  _ could  _ happen. This could be  _ something _ . Rachel's breath is caught in her throat. She waits, wondering -  _ hoping  _ \- that maybe  _ something  _ might happen.

 

His lips are on hers. It's softer that she expected. His free hand touches her cheek as he pulls her closely. The kiss deepens, and she feels as if she's been set on fire. Rachel wraps her arms around his neck. Time feels as if it's stopped, and she's lost all ability to think any coherent thoughts.

 

Joey parts from her. Rachel lowers her eyes, laughing softly. Her head feels light, and her heart hammers against her chest. Joey cups her cheek, softly tilting her face upward so that their eyes meet. He smiles at her with that boyish smile. This night can end in so many ways. 

 

She  _ wants  _ it to end with her underneath him. 

 

Screw this bar. Screw it all. There's one thing on her mind, and in this moment, it's all she could ask for. She wants this. She  _ needs  _ this. Rachel turns to her forgotten martini glass. She grabs the glass, sipping the rest of the liquid till the glass empties. She takes his hand in hers, guiding him outside of the bar. The stress of her new job and her breakup are now so lost to her. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is what happens after they leave and Ross finding out the next day. Tons of Joey and Rachel sexy times and Ross being butt hurt.


End file.
